Mailbag

Letters from our readers

Doubly blessed

"Soldiering on" (May 27) by Lynn Vincent was wonderful. As a vet I really appreciate the coverage of these brave men and families who have sacrificed so much for us. As these men and others return home and have an impact on their communities, our nation will be doubly blessed. Knowing what the cost of freedom is makes the exercise of it much wiser. People who have paid the price are not as easily deluded by hucksters who pass around ideas as if they had no consequences. -Dick Friedrich; Grand Rapids, Mich.

In death's way?

I read with great sadness "Rescue me" (May 27), about the family of Lang Yen Thi Vo fighting to keep her on life support. As a registered cardiac nurse, I have been at the bedside of patients and beloved friends in similar struggles. I ardently support the sanctity of human life, but technology has brought us the means to interfere with death. Without the details of Vo's medical condition, it is impossible to condemn the medical establishment. Often the medical professionals caring for someone in such a condition are accused of being uncaring and wanting to end the financial drain. That can be at times legitimate but in other cases is simply a cruel and baseless accusation. -Gaye Clark; Idaho Falls, Idaho

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"Rescue me" did not discuss the issue of who will pay the high cost of her continued care, avoiding a question that the pro-life community must address to be credibly engaged: Who foots the bill, and do the bill-payers have a right to be at the table, helping decide whether they want to pay for care based on likelihood of outcome? There are non-financial reasons to consider withdrawing life support, in the same way that there are non-financial reasons to refuse chemotherapy. -James F. Blechl; South Bend, Ind.

Losing ground

I really appreciated Hugh Hewitt's column "Purists' price" (May 27). I often hear conservatives stating that they can't in good conscience vote for Republicans, and that we need to send a strong message so they will shape up. I think we have to be a bit more pragmatic than that. Whether or not they "learn their lesson" if conservatives lose in a big way, we could lose an awful lot of ground, especially the opportunity to appoint a strict constructionist to the Supreme Court. -Anne Johnson; Newport, Ore.

Rampant immorality

Joel Belz mentioned the "immorality" of government projects ("Too many zeroes," May 27); the fiscal immorality of government in this nation is rampant and escalating, with no end in sight. And I am largely a Bush supporter, but his fiscal management has been an utter disgrace. -Chuck Hannon; Lebanon, N.J.

Although I agree that Congress has a way of living up to President Reagan's comparison of the government to a baby, not all spending beyond one's comprehension is immoral. As a power systems engineer, my profession falls directly under God's command to exercise dominion over creation for the good of people to the glory of God. Building new power lines, for example, is unfortunately very expensive, but in many cases not building them could produce regional blackouts, jeopardizing the safety and well-being of others. -David Cullum; Janesville, Wis.

Hard to care

Call me cold-hearted, but I find it difficult to have much concern about any current-day issue as it might affect folks 25,000 years from now ("Radioactive temple," May 27). Who can possibly even conceive of conditions, resources, and abilities in 25,000 years? Might we not reasonably expect the Lord to reveal the technological means to get the problem of radioactive waste resolved long, long before then? -John C. Skinner; Carlsbad, N.M.

A better, true story

In the wake of The DaVinci Code movie flop ("Changing the code," May 27), it seems to me that Christians need to revisit G.K. Chesterton's The Everlasting Man. We have the better story and, better yet, ours is true. Nothing is more compelling than the biblical account of God working in and throughout salvation history. We need not be intimidated by the constant stream of Hollywood drivel and its infatuation with all things ungodly. Preach the word, my friends. -Stan Newton; Fletcher, N.C.

Thank you for revealing the facts behind The Da Vinci Code ('The Da Vinci craze," May 20). Gene Edward Veith drives to the very heart of the matter in showing how this film is not to be pandered to as something a Christian could simply observe, react to, and possibly strike up a debate over, but instead as something that should be completely rejected like the collection of lies that it is. -Wil Codilla; Warrensburg, Mo.

Words and pictures

WORLD has recently presented a sympathetic view of illegals ("The new 'New Colossus,'" "You used to be one," April 15) while striking a condescending tone toward citizens who insist on law enforcement ("Hot issue, hot ad," May 27). Please cancel my subscription, and WORLD will no longer make its way to our school library. -Michael Owings; Aroda, Va.

Your magazine has been of great service to me. I know of no other publication that deals with world events from a Christian perspective the way you do. -Eugene Holder; Marietta, Ga.

How does he do it? Week after week, Krieg Barrie proves beyond a doubt that a picture is worth a thousand words-more or less-by providing the perfect complement for each column by Messrs. Belz and Olasky and Mrs. Seu. -Barbara Curtis; Waterford, Va.

Reasonable ban

I totally disagreed with your article on tobacco ("Nipped in the butt," May 13). I didn't think the Washington smoking ban was radical at all, and there are plenty of other jobs out there for the White Elephant bartender. -Ryan Tiffany, 13; Louisiana, Mo.

Not OK

Just because a man was "careless, lazy, dismissive and/or demanding" when he was married, it does not make it OK for him to remain that way ("To a young mother," May 13). There is nothing wrong with expecting our husbands to mature in their Christian walk. -Shea Johnson; Scott City, Mo.

Greed syndrome

Should we be surprised that college students turn to pills to get them through finals and perhaps their whole academic career ("Attention grabber," May 20)? North Americans have a pill for everything because everything has become a "syndrome." Every time the drug companies can identify something as a syndrome, you can hear the sound of cash register bells going off. -Jim Stephens; Toronto, Ontario